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PREPARATION OF SLIDES FOR 1987 ASA MEETING
Successful use of slides requires careful preparation. Unless your
slides clarify ideas, emphasize important points, help you to organize your
talk , and increa se the interest and allention of your audience, your slides
will only put your Audience to sleep. TIlE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF
FAILUR E IN SLIDES IS PRESENTATION OFTOO MUCI/ MATERIAL ON A
SINGLE SLIDE. Frequently, your major problem will be deciding what not
to present. Introd uce your topic; present the main points in a logical,
step-wise sequence; and, most impo rtantly, tic together your presentati on
in a conclusion. The conclusion should present or reinforce the messagc
that you wish cach member of thc audience to take home.
l'lanllin!! Your Talk and Vour Slidtl
Plan the visuals essential to presentation of your paper. One
approach is to take a series of 4" x 6" plain index cards and draw a
horizontal 4" x 3" box in the left hand corner. A 4" x 3" box represents
the dimensions o f the image on a 2" x 2" slide. [n each box, rough out
what that slide will show. This might be a crude sketch, a rough table,
or a short statement. Drafting slides in this manner forces you to
consider each element of each slide. The cards then can be arranged and
rearranged in the order that best suits your presentation . Ask a series
of ques ti o ns concerning each potential slide.
a) Is this slide necessary? Will it help me attain the objectivc of
my presentation?
b) Is there good continuity betwcen this slide and that preceding
it?
e) Will this slide aid the audience in receiving my message?
d) Does this slide focus allention on a single iden? h this idea
clca r?
e) [s the slide free of extraneous or distracting elements?
f) [s this slide the most effective for presenting the material?
g) Can the information in the slide be read and understood when
projected on a screen and viewed from a distant corner of a
large room?
h) Are my spoken commentary and the slide mutually reinforcing?
Any slide that does not meet ALL of these criteria should be deleted
or replaced .
Alwa ys assume that you will he showing your slides to an audience
sitting in the la st row of a very large room that is quite bright because
the curtains are transparent. Furthermore, assume that the screen will
be no more than 5' wide and that you will have no light at the podium
to sec your notes. [f you prepare your talk so that it can be delivered
errectively and received well under these conditions, your presentation
cannot hclp but be improved when you are blessed with the more
desirable setting available at our mee_ting.
A total of 6 to 10 slides is ide~ll
funl!r~!lon or Slides
The most common error in making slides is to assume that if
material is legible in the printed form , it will be legible as a slide. This
"'U"'~tlOII ol",ost olway. I. ",rolllt. It seems unlikely th at the printing
on a slide can ever he lOn large. Lettering frequently can be too small.
Under ideal conditions, the maximum viewing distance of a slide should be
about 12X the height of the projected image. To prejudge the success or
failure of your slides, place your typed material at a distance 12X the
height of the ta ble in your original (allowing space for the margins when
it is copied onto a s lide) and view it from that distance. [f the material
is readable from a distance of 12X its height, type of that size will be
suitable for projection in a room when the farthest viewer will be seated
at a distance of 12X the height of the projectcd image. Many of your
initial concepts for a slide will not pass this tes t.
The color of the background of your slide should complement your
Statement Slides
A successful typewritten statement slide must fit in a space no
larger than 3" x 4". There are several cardinal rules for statement
slides. These include:
a) One line is superb, three is good, five is fair, and nine is the
absolute limit.
b) Make the lines short--no more than 25 letters, numerals, or
spaces.
c) Center the copy so that it is balanced and provides reasonable
margins.
d) Use a horizontal format whenever possible (your slide can be
seen over people).
e) Consider the use of capital letters throughout except for
expressions such as mm, ml,or other abbreviations. Capital
letters take no more space on the slide, but are twice as large
and, hence, twice as legible as lower case letters.
The typed table must fit in a space 3" x 4". Try vcry h3fd not to
exceed nine lines (double spaced). Obviously, co mplex headings and
footnotes cannot be used. Actually, they are unnccessary, since you will
tell the audience what the table is about. The headings for columns and
rows should be simple, but self explanatory if Iloss iblc. Data should hc
presented so that most numbers conta in two digits with only a few one­or
three-digit numbers. Inclusion of decimal points simply wastes space.
Data can be manipulated hy multiplying by lin appro priate power of 10.
although conventional expressions of measures should be used when
possible. [n most instances, presentation of the standard error of the
mean or standard deviation is unnecessa ry. Only if you arc interested in
stressing the lack of variation or the abnormally large variation, is it
necessary to present a measure of dispersion. Statistical signifi cance can
be designated by superscript letters or, in simple tables, by the usc of
O(P<0.05) or "(P<O.OI). Usc a series of similarly formatted tables (or
figures) to cover all of the data.
Qraphs and Charts
Emphasize one idea in each graph and keep you r graph simple. A
graph projected as a slide cannot be studied in great detail as is true in
the printed form. Circle or bar graphs are more legible than line
graphs. Multiple comparisons can be prese nted best in a seri es of charts
drawn in the same manner and presented as successive slides rather than
as a single, complicated slide.
Many graphs or figures that are satisfactory in a published
manuscript are atrocious as slides. Graphs used for slides should be
drawn in a simplified manner. The ordinate and axis should be labeled at
not more than 4-5 points. [deally, all lettering is horizontal. Up to four
curves might be presented in a single slide if the curves do not overlap
or intersect. If the curves arc complex, presentation of more than one
or two curves on a slide can lead to disaster. Always plan for maximum
legibility. [f in doubt, go for clarity, even if it means less information
per slide.
POINTS TO [U;;MEMIIER
I. Use 2" x 2" slides. Design all slides wilh A horizontal formal.
2. I/ave slides wi th a dark-colored background , as it minimizes the
effects of dust and dirt and is restful on the eyes.
3. Only one idea on each slide. Several slides may be used to present
one idca, but never present more than one idea on one slid e.
Instead of using one slide to li st fi ve point s, usc five successive
slides and add one point to each following slide.
4. Limit each slide to 15 to 20 words or 25-30 clements.
subjeet mail er and not co nfli c t with it . Large expanses of white orten 5. Do not inelude material that you do no t plan to di sc IIs,.
cause glare while Some pastel colors may look washed out. One drawback
of a negative slide is the "popping" which occurs with a ll cardboard 6.
mounted slides, but is most obvious with negative slides. This problem is
WOrSe if the lines have been tinted with color(s). The negative slide can
be mountcd as a g lass rather than a cardboard s lide. 7.
Note: You will put your own
Use duplica te slides if you need to refer to the same material at
two different points in your talk .
Plan your slides for a good visual pace in your prese ntation .
leave a slide on the screen after you have discussed
necessary, usc a blank slide.
slides into a carousel
Don't
it. If
tray at the meeting ' and, obviously, can not blame
the project ion ist if your slides are out of order,
backward, or upside down. It will be your

PREPARATION OF SLIDES FOR 1987 ASA MEETING
Successful use of slides requires careful preparation. Unless your
slides clarify ideas, emphasize important points, help you to organize your
talk , and increa se the interest and allention of your audience, your slides
will only put your Audience to sleep. TIlE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF
FAILUR E IN SLIDES IS PRESENTATION OFTOO MUCI/ MATERIAL ON A
SINGLE SLIDE. Frequently, your major problem will be deciding what not
to present. Introd uce your topic; present the main points in a logical,
step-wise sequence; and, most impo rtantly, tic together your presentati on
in a conclusion. The conclusion should present or reinforce the messagc
that you wish cach member of thc audience to take home.
l'lanllin!! Your Talk and Vour Slidtl
Plan the visuals essential to presentation of your paper. One
approach is to take a series of 4" x 6" plain index cards and draw a
horizontal 4" x 3" box in the left hand corner. A 4" x 3" box represents
the dimensions o f the image on a 2" x 2" slide. [n each box, rough out
what that slide will show. This might be a crude sketch, a rough table,
or a short statement. Drafting slides in this manner forces you to
consider each element of each slide. The cards then can be arranged and
rearranged in the order that best suits your presentation . Ask a series
of ques ti o ns concerning each potential slide.
a) Is this slide necessary? Will it help me attain the objectivc of
my presentation?
b) Is there good continuity betwcen this slide and that preceding
it?
e) Will this slide aid the audience in receiving my message?
d) Does this slide focus allention on a single iden? h this idea
clca r?
e) [s the slide free of extraneous or distracting elements?
f) [s this slide the most effective for presenting the material?
g) Can the information in the slide be read and understood when
projected on a screen and viewed from a distant corner of a
large room?
h) Are my spoken commentary and the slide mutually reinforcing?
Any slide that does not meet ALL of these criteria should be deleted
or replaced .
Alwa ys assume that you will he showing your slides to an audience
sitting in the la st row of a very large room that is quite bright because
the curtains are transparent. Furthermore, assume that the screen will
be no more than 5' wide and that you will have no light at the podium
to sec your notes. [f you prepare your talk so that it can be delivered
errectively and received well under these conditions, your presentation
cannot hclp but be improved when you are blessed with the more
desirable setting available at our mee_ting.
A total of 6 to 10 slides is ide~ll
funl!r~!lon or Slides
The most common error in making slides is to assume that if
material is legible in the printed form , it will be legible as a slide. This
"'U"'~tlOII ol",ost olway. I. ",rolllt. It seems unlikely th at the printing
on a slide can ever he lOn large. Lettering frequently can be too small.
Under ideal conditions, the maximum viewing distance of a slide should be
about 12X the height of the projected image. To prejudge the success or
failure of your slides, place your typed material at a distance 12X the
height of the ta ble in your original (allowing space for the margins when
it is copied onto a s lide) and view it from that distance. [f the material
is readable from a distance of 12X its height, type of that size will be
suitable for projection in a room when the farthest viewer will be seated
at a distance of 12X the height of the projectcd image. Many of your
initial concepts for a slide will not pass this tes t.
The color of the background of your slide should complement your
Statement Slides
A successful typewritten statement slide must fit in a space no
larger than 3" x 4". There are several cardinal rules for statement
slides. These include:
a) One line is superb, three is good, five is fair, and nine is the
absolute limit.
b) Make the lines short--no more than 25 letters, numerals, or
spaces.
c) Center the copy so that it is balanced and provides reasonable
margins.
d) Use a horizontal format whenever possible (your slide can be
seen over people).
e) Consider the use of capital letters throughout except for
expressions such as mm, ml,or other abbreviations. Capital
letters take no more space on the slide, but are twice as large
and, hence, twice as legible as lower case letters.
The typed table must fit in a space 3" x 4". Try vcry h3fd not to
exceed nine lines (double spaced). Obviously, co mplex headings and
footnotes cannot be used. Actually, they are unnccessary, since you will
tell the audience what the table is about. The headings for columns and
rows should be simple, but self explanatory if Iloss iblc. Data should hc
presented so that most numbers conta in two digits with only a few one­or
three-digit numbers. Inclusion of decimal points simply wastes space.
Data can be manipulated hy multiplying by lin appro priate power of 10.
although conventional expressions of measures should be used when
possible. [n most instances, presentation of the standard error of the
mean or standard deviation is unnecessa ry. Only if you arc interested in
stressing the lack of variation or the abnormally large variation, is it
necessary to present a measure of dispersion. Statistical signifi cance can
be designated by superscript letters or, in simple tables, by the usc of
O(P<0.05) or "(P